MiIROSLAV Lajcak says his country - which came into existence 20 years ago after the dissolution of Czechoslovakia - is following Scotland's situation closely.

SLOVAKIA'S deputy prime minister this morning threw further doubt on whether an independent Scotland would remain in the European Union.

Miroslav Lajcak is the latest politician to enter the ongoing row over Scotland's future within the EU if the country votes to leave the UK.

The Scottish Government has insisted that rather than applying for European membership, an independent Scotland would negotiate the terms of this from within the EU.

But opponents claim if the union with the UK was ended, Scotland would have to apply for European membership.

Mr Lajcak, whose country was formed 20 years ago after the dissolution of Czechoslovakia, said the possibility of Scotland becoming independent was "not for us to judge".

But he told BBC Radio Scotland's Good Morning Scotland programme the debate about the country's future was "something we are following quite closely" in Slovakia.

"We are interested," he said. "We know that our case is one of interest."

When asked if a new country would continue as a member of the EU, Mr Lajcak said: "As far as I know there is a discussion about exactly this issue going on in Brussels. There is no clear answer to this.

"There should be an evaluation of the readiness... but in the end it's a political decision made by all the member states."

Mr Lajcak said that when Slovakia came into existence in 1993, "many people were sceptical about the chances for us to exist, let alone prosper".

But he added: "Right now everybody understands and acknowledges we have been a success story.

"So the general feeling is there was scepticism at the beginning, people were not convinced that a split of Czechoslovakia was the best idea, but right now we are doing well, Czech Republic is doing well, and our friendship is better than ever."